The Dark Wind (1982)

The Jicarilla Apache are one of nine Apachean speaking tribes, and their name means “Little Basket.” The Jicarilla Apache Reservation is located in northern New Mexico, and the headquarters for the reservation is located in Dulce, New Mexico. The reservation was established in 1887 by an Executive Order given by United States President Grover Cleveland. In 1937, they adopted a formal style of government and a constitution. They have a tribal council and their government includes three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.

In traditional Native American cultures, "religion" is an alien concept. Rather than religion, these traditional societies acknowledge, respect, and participate in what can be understood as a reciprocal relationship between the individual and other individuals, the community, nature and natural phenomenon, and sacred beings. This reciprocity has attained the level of ceremony and spiritual tradition over centuries of observance. It has also been augmented, and sometimes replaced, by the imposition of Christianity, especially, although not exclusively, Catholicism.

When Tony Hillerman writes "Zuni religion," for example, he is referring to the traditional Zuni way, one that predates Christianity or European influence.

As their name suggests, red-winged blackbirds are small birds with mostly all black coloring except for a splash of red (and yellow) on the top of their wings. These birds have a very distinct call, and in many regions, its repeated sound is a sign of Spring. They are common across North America but tend to congregate around wetland areas, and so, if seen in the southwest, it is usually around watercourses, seepage, or springs.

The common raven is a large, heavy-billed black bird. Ravens are larger than crows and have more rugged plumage. Ravens are also the largest perching bird, and can have a wingspan of more than 4 feet. Ravens are very intelligent birds and are known to collect shiny objects. Ravens are scavengers, unlike crows, and are drawn to carrion. As a result, various cultures have associated them with death. Ravens are found in deserts, forests and mountainous areas around the world.

In Navajo teaching, a "two-faced" creature was responsible for both the creation of the world and for bringing death into that same world. Along with coyote, rattlesnake, and spider, raven is considered a "two-faced" creature.

A venomous pit viper best known for the segmented rattle at the end of its tail. Pit vipers find their prey, even in the dark, through heat-sensing pits located on their faces. There are thirty-three species of rattlesnakes found in North, Central, and South America; however, the main areas with rattlesnakes include northern Mexico and the U.S. Southwest. While rattlesnake venom can be fatal, rattlesnakes are not aggressive and, unless provoked or startled, will not attack. Rattlesnakes come in various colors with geometric patterns, and they can range in length from one to six feet.

Like most reptiles, rattlesnakes lay and brood eggs in late summer, with broods averaging from four to ten young. From birth, these young rattlesnake have fangs and glands that produce a potent venom. As they are young and inexperienced, a young rattlesnake is more likely to attack then an older snake.

The term used to describe an adult male sheep, one that has not been castrated.

An individual who is authorized to perform as a mediator between the people and a transcendent power. The priest's authority enables him or her to perform in both a spiritual and administrative capacity within his belief system's influence and jurisdiction.

The indigenous peoples of the U.S. Southwest each have some version of a rain dance ceremonial. This dance is meant to honor the relationship between the people and the kachinas (or spirit beings) responsible for rain. At many points throughout Tony Hillerman's Navajo detective series, various phrases will be used interchangeably to reference the blessings and prayers for rain, calling to mind the variety of beliefs that the people of the Southwest region have with regard to rain in their desert environments.

Radar, an acronym for "radio detection and ranging," was developed and in use by several nations as early as World War II. Radar is a system that detects objects and their movements through time and space by emitting pulses of radio waves. When these waves encounter an object, the waves' movement is disrupted, and readings of this disruption bounce back in the direction from which they were emitted, where their energy is read and analyzed to determine size and direction and speed of movement of the object encountered.

A pleasant smelling small shrub with hairy branches and groups of yellow flowers found across the American Great Basin. It provides nesting and cover to small birds and jackrabbits. The Navajo make yellow dye from the flowers.